408,823 research outputs found
Chemothalamolysis in the treatment of hemiballismus: simplified Knighton's technique
No full textThree cases are reported in which the author used Knighton's simplified technique to make lesions in the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus. This controlled involuntary movements of hemiballismus. One patient died of a myocardial infarction due to marked hypotension and an episode of postoperative bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract
Gonzalez, S.
No full textCentro Asturiano membership record of S. Gonzalez; Socio Number: 84358.https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/asturiano_membership/3326/thumbnail.jp
Rumer's transformation: A symmetry puzzle standing for half a century
No full textIn 1966, only a few months after the complete elucidation of the standard nuclear genetic code (Kay, 2000), the Russian theoretical physicist Yury Borisovich Rumer uncovered the existence of a particular symmetry (Rumer, 1966): when the keto-amino transformation (also known as Rumer's transformation) is applied to the bases of a codon then the degeneracy of the transformed codon was changed. In particular, if the amino acid associated to the starting codon has degeneracy 4, then the amino acid associated to the transformed codon has degeneracy 1, 2 or 3 (and vice versa). After half a century from this discovery and despite the universality of Rumer's symmetry, little is known about its origin and its possible biological significance. In this article we show that Rumer's symmetry could have originated in an ancestral version of the genetic code, i.e., the pre-early code, and is a natural consequence of the stereo-chemical symmetries of the ancestral synthesis machinery working around such code (Gonzalez et al., 2019). Moreover, the conservation of Rumer's symmetry through evolutionary periods suggests a connection with key biological features. In this respect, intriguing possibilities include those of error detection/correction, control over the synthesis of proteins, and frame maintenance. To a certain extent, such ideas have been explored in the framework of a mathematical model of the genetic code (the non-power model of the genetic code (Gonzalez, 2004; Gonzalez, 2008; Gonzalez et al., 2016), whose definition of dichotomic classes naturally includes Rumer's symmetry (Gonzalez, 2008; Gonzalez et al., 2006, 2008) and the theory of circular codes (Arquès and Michel, 1996; Gonzalez et al., 2011; Fimmel et al., 2015)
Xanthosoma gratiae Cornejo & Croat. A, Inflorescence 2022, sp. nov.
No full textXanthosoma gratiae Cornejo & Croat, sp. nov. (Fig. 1) Xanthosoma gratiae differs from all species in the group Chamaexanthosoma by the colour of the spathe blade which is yellowish-green to light yellow or yellowish-cream without, and the leaf blades with obtuse apex. Xanthosoma gratiae is similar to X. perssonii Delannay, Cornejo & Croat, but also differs by the length of the spadix with a shorter staminate portion 7.0– 10.5 cm long (vs. 14 cm long), a shorter pistillate portion 2.5–3.0 cm long (vs. 4 cm long), and the consistently light green (vs. dark purple) spathe tube inside. Type: — ECUADOR. Guayas: Casas Viejas, cerca al límite noroccidental del Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco, ca. 10 W from Guayaquil, 02°07’S 25’’S, 80°05’43’’W, ca. 240 m, seasonally deciduous dry forest, 12 Feb 2022 (y. fl), fully flowered in cultivation in Guayaquil, 02°07’46”S, 79°54’25”W, ca. 6 m, 16 Feb–7 Mar 2022 (fl), X. Cornejo, J. Josse & L. Alcívar 10019 (holotype GUAY!, mounted material and spirit collection). Stemless tuberous herb to 0.5 m tall; tuber depressed-oblate, drying ca. 6 cm diameter. Prophylls (only one seen) oblong-lanceolate, membranous, 2-costate, ca. 9 x 1.4 cm, subhyaline creamish-white, the costa yellowish. Leaves erect to erect-spreading; petioles 30–60 cm long, sheathed 1/3 to less than ½ its length, light-green, drying dark brown, 3–4 cm diam. near the base, 9–10 mm diam. midway, 7–9 mm diam. near the apex; blades spreading to somewhat reflexed, ovate-cordate, 30–40 cm long, 20–32 cm wide, 1.2 to 1.6 as long as wide, 0.5 times as long as petiole, broadest across the posterior lobes, upper surface middle green, slightly sulcate to flat and glossy along veins, drying thin, brownish green, glabrous above, paler green and medium-glossy throughout, primary lateral veins 4–5 per side, prominent, strongly and concolorous below; slightly to broadly obtuse and apiculate at apex (apiculum 1–3 mm long), prominently lobed at base; anterior lobe 20–30 cm long, margins straight to slightly convex, entire; posterior lobes 9– 19 cm long, 9–18 cm wide, obtuse to rounded, often overlapping at the base; basal veins 5–6 pairs, 1 st pair free to base, 2 nd basioscopic; posterior rib not naked, branching before reaching the tip of the posterior lobe; sinus up to 1 cm width at base. Inflorescences 1 per axil, erect; peduncle 30–47 × 1.2–1.5 cm, pale green, glossy when fresh; spathe 15–21 cm long, tube middle green, slightly glossy, inconspicuously and finely sulcate longitudinally outside (observable under magnifying glass), light green with weak longitudinally veins, glandular within, 3.5–5.5 × 2.0– 2.6 cm when fresh, 4 × 1.4 cm when dry; blade yellowish-green to light yellow or yellowish-cream outside, creamish-green to creamish-white inside, 8–14 cm long when fresh, 7–11 cm when dry; spadix 14–18 cm long, staminate portion 7.0–10.5 × 1.3–1.4 cm and white when fresh, 6–8 × 0.8–1 cm when dry, sterile portion fully covered by staminodia, these 3.5–4.5 cm long, 7–8 mm diam. in the middle, c. 3.5 × 0.2 cm when dry, white, the lower part with thickened staminodia 2.5–5.0 mm long when fresh, white or light brownish-pink; pistillate portion 2.5–3.0 × 1.1–1.4 cm and yellowish-white to creamish-yellow when fresh, 2 × ca. 0.9 cm when dry. Infructescences not seen. Discussion: — Xanthosoma gratiae as a member of the Chamaexanthosoma group can be recognized from all remaining species in the group by the spathe blade being yellowish-green to light yellow or yellowish-cream at maturity without and the leaf blades with an obtuse apex. Within the species of this group, the fully light green spathe inside is only shared with X. guayaquilense Delannay, Cornejo & Croat (2019:158), but X. gratiae differs at first sight from the latter species by the leaf blade shape, apex, size, arrangement and absence of pubescence. By the stemless habit, the leaf blades ovate-cordate of similar sizes with 4–5 pairs of primary lateral veins and the usually overlapping posterior lobes, Xanthosoma gratiae may resemble X. perssonii Delannay et al. (2019:160), but in addition to the distinctive aforementioned characters the former species also differs from the later by the consistently light green inner spathe tube color (vs. dark purple), the spadix of shorter length, and different life zone. Xanthosoma gratiae may also resemble X. daulense Croat & Delannay (2017:152) s.s., another endemic to the Guayas province that also belongs to the same Chamaexanthosoma group, but the new species, in addition to the mentioned distinctive colors of spathe also differs from the latter by the leaf blades ovate-cordate, broader, with the inner sinus up to 8 mm width, otherwise usually closed, and the blade apex obtuse and apiculate. In the original publication of X. daulense, the selected holotype, Harling 4801 (S), consisted of a leaf blade without petiole and a detached spathe blade, the remaining reproductive parts of inflorescence are missing, the distinctive full colors of spathe are handwritten by Harling himself in the mounted type label as: ¨Spathe green at base, white in its upper part, violet red in the throat¨. As the original description of X. daulense has been based on the fragmentary poor holotype and only one fertile paratype (Cornejo & Bonifaz 989, GUAY), the description of this species is mostly based on the only cited paratype (Cornejo & Bonifaz 989, GUAY), that was gathered at the north of cordillera Chongón Colonche in western Ecuador. However, the discussed paratype of X. daulense morphologically and phytogeographically fits well within X. gratiae, a species that was found at the southeastern terminal end of the same mountain range. In contrast, the type locality of X. daulense was from a different ecosystem at the altitudinally lower Guayas basin watershed. Recently, a not previously known fertile isotype of X. daulense that was not included in the original publication of the species has been found at MO, the images are posted in Tropicos (https://www. tropicos.org/name/100442254). The mentioned isotype adds additional valuable information on the inflorescence and leaf blade of X. daulense s.s. that allow us to understand the real boundaries of the species and makes clear after studying X. gratiae in the field and in cultivated material that the original description of X. daulense is composed of intermixed traits of the two closely related species discussed herein. Therefore, the cited paratype (Cornejo & Bonifaz 989, GUAY) of X. daulense is here recorded as belonging to the new species X. gratiae, and X. daulense s.s. is regarded as a validly published poorly known species closely related to X. eggersii (Croat et al. 2017; see Table 1). Etymology: —The epithet gratiae that is in Latin means beauty of form and manifestation of a favor. This refers to the nice appearance of the plant and largely to the fact that while exploring in the field the new species was found just few minutes after the type collector specifically asked Yeshua if a new species still could be found in a highly disturbed habitat as the type locality. Habitat and distribution: — Xanthosoma gratiae is known only by two collections gathered between ca. 240 m to 500 m, at the north and southeast of cordillera Chongón-Colonche, that is an extra Andean mountain range, in a seasonally disturbed Pacific dry and transitional to moist forests west to northwest from Guayaquil, in the provinces of Guayas and Manabí, in coastal Ecuador. It is expected to be found on the western side of Cerro Blanco private reserve. Xanthosoma gratiae occurs on dark-chocolate clayish soils that are a superficially rich in organic matter, but abundantly rocky and lighter ferruginous-brown in deeper layers. The presence of tubers that have the ability of sprouting during the rainy season throughout years makes this species a seasonally persistent herb on disturbed habitats. Phenology and cultivation: —Vegetatively growing and flowering from February to March, accomplishing full life cycle once in a year, during the rainy season only. Similar to X. guayaquilense Delannay, Cornejo & Croat and the sympatric X. diazii Croat & Delannay (2017:164), both also endemics to the seasonal Pacific dry forests of coastal Ecuador. The phenology of X. gratiae is triggered at the beginning of rainy season, induced by the changes of weather parameters such as increase in environmental moisture, regional temperature, and presence of rains. The whole aerial part of the plant fades in April before the end of rainy season, and the species is apparently absent during the dry season from June to December. During this period, the total absence of rain generates a marked stress effect on native vegetation that exhibits a strongly deciduous behavior and conspicuously transforms the habitat and landscape where X. gratiae occurs, from a luxuriant green appearance to predominantly leafless and grayish-opaque which is in contrast to the scattered evergreen floristic elements, among which, the tubers of X. gratiae remain undetected few centimeters underground waiting for the next seasonal changes that will allow them to sprout and grow again. It has been observed that the glandular tissue at the inner spathe tube behind the pistillate portion segregates a hyaline exudate at same time as the stigmas are wet and the inflorescence produces scent near midnight. Xanthosoma gratiae is one of the few native herbs that can be cultivated as an ornamental under shade in tropical warm cities as Guayaquil. The new species can be reproduced by propagules or vegetative seedlings. Therefore, efforts for conservation of this endangered new species must consider the vegetative propagation and cultivation as a seasonal ornamental plant. Conservation status: —The less than 20 individuals found in the habitat that is threatened by selective cutting and occasionally fires during the dry season and mainly by the unstoppable urban expansion of the city of Guayaquil corelated to the low regional level of appreciation for native species and nature led us to regard Xanthosoma gratiae as Critically Endangered CR B1 ab(iii), CR C 2 a(ii) (IUCN 2022). The high sensibility to the current seasonal changes of weather parameters that drives the phenology of X. gratiae suggest that this and other related endemics as X. guayaquilense and X. diazii, that exhibit a similar extreme seasonal behavior may be affected by global climatic change. Therefore, the survival of these seasonally cryptic endemic herbs from coastal Ecuador facing climatic change is uncertain. Paratype: — ECUADOR. Manabí: Crucita, Cuenca del Río Ayampe, 01°39’W, 80°38’W, 500 m, 9 Dec 1993 (fl), X. Cornejo & C. Bonifaz 989 (GUAY!).Published as part of Cornejo, Xavier & Croat, Tom, 2022, Xanthosoma gratiae (Araceae), a new species from the cordillera ChongónColonche in coastal Ecuador, pp. 237-242 in Phytotaxa 558 (2) on pages 238-241, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.558.2.7, http://zenodo.org/record/700302
On the origin of the mitochondrial genetic code: Towards a unified mathematical framework for the management of genetic information
No full textThe origin of the genetic code represents one of the most challenging problems in molecular evolution. The genetic code is an important universal feature of extant organisms and indicates a common ancestry of different forms of life on earth. Known variants of the genetic code can be mainly divided in mitochondrial and nuclear classes. Here we provide a new insight on the origin of the mitochondrial genetic code: we found that its degeneracy distribution can be explained by using a mathematical approach recently developed for the description of the Euplotes nuclear variant of the genetic code. The results point to a primeval mitochondrial genetic code composed of four base codons, which we call tesserae, that, among other features, exhibit outstanding error detection capabilities. The theoretical description suggests also a formulation of a plausible biological theory about the origin of protein coding. Such theory is based on the symmetry properties of hypothetical primeval chemical adaptors between nucleic acids and amino acids (ancient tRNA’s). Our paper provides a unified mathematical framework for different hypotheses on the origin of genetic coding. Also, it contributes to revisit our present view about the evolutionary steps that led to extant genetic codes by giving a new first-principles perspective on the difficult problem of the origin of the genetic code, and consequently, on the origin of life on earth
Recommended from our members
[Letter from Pedro J. Gonzalez to three people]
No full textLetter from Pedro J. Gonzalez to Eduardo Ortega P., Rodolfo Tisnaso S., and Arturo Acuña V. Multiple short lines of text and a column of paragraphs are printed on the front of the page. Occupying the document's back is a long title is printed above layered paragraphs positioned above columns of text. A name and location sit near the bottom of the page
Episodio 10: el arte de cuestionar: Viviana Cornejo
No full textViviana Cornejo es una mujer chilena, esposa, amiga e hija. Terapeuta Ocupacional, diplomada en Neurociencia y Neurorrehabilitación clÃnica y en innovación de tecnologÃa para la discapacidad. Además está cursando un magister, es docente de la escuela de Terapia Ocupacional de la Universidad Mayor e integrante de la unidad de investigación de la ClÃnica los Coihues. Este episodio tiene una duración de 25 minutos. Para escucharlo solo debes cliquear en enlace que aparece más abajo a Spotify
Eschweilera podoaquilae Cornejo 2023, sp. nov.
No full text<i>Eschweilera podoaquilae</i> Cornejo, <i>sp. nov.</i> (Fig. 1) <p> New species of <i>Eschweilera</i>, similar to <i>E. rimbachii</i> Standl., <i>E. pachyderma</i> Cuatrec., and <i>E. awaensis</i> Mori & Cornejo, but differs from all those species by the irregularly and transversely sulcate and tuberculate thick pedicels, the tuberculate hypanthium, and the densely verruculose sepals.</p> <p> <b>Type:</b> — ECUADOR. Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas: Centinela, área norte de las montañas de Ila, Parroquia El Esfuerzo, comuna Polanco, Cascadas Las Rocas, 0°28’S, 79°11’W, 560 m, 20 Mar 2022 (fl), <i>X. Cornejo, J. L. Clark & C. Restrepo 10032</i> (holotype: GUAY!, isotype QCA!).</p> <p> <i>Tree</i> to 25 m tall and 60 cm DBH, the branches ± horizontal, the bark richly lenticellate, the trunk with low, thick, poorly developed buttresses. <i>Young branches</i> glabrous, abundantly lenticellate. <i>Leaves</i>: shortly petiolate, the petioles slightly rimulose, shallowly channeled adaxially, rounded abaxially, hemispherical in cross section, 20–25 × 6–7 mm (fresh), glabrous; blades mostly oblong-elliptic, sometimes lanceolate-elliptic, 35–70 × 11–20 cm, chartaceous, with abundant black punctations abaxially, the base usually obtuse to truncate, occasionally cuneate, the margins entire, the apex acuminate to shortly caudate; venation brochidodromous, the midrib prominent adaxially, markedly salient abaxially, glabrous, the secondary veins in 30–60 pairs, slightly prominent adaxially, salient abaxially, intersecondaries present, the marginal vein conspicuous, the tertiary veins reticulate. <i>Inflorescences</i> terminal, axillary and ramiflorous, unbranched to paniculate, the rachis 4–25 cm long, stout, erect to suberect, glabrous, lenticellate; pedicels 7–13 × 4–7 mm (fresh), transversely sulcate, tuberculate and lenticellate, glabrous, grayish-brown to purplish or purple (fresh); flower buds purplish-black (fresh). Floral bracts absent from flower buds. <i>Flowers</i> ca. 7.5 cm diam. (fresh), ca. 5 cm diam. (dry); hypanthium tuberculate and lenticellate, glabrous; calyx with 6 lobes, the lobes ovate to triangular, 4–6 × ca. 5 mm (fresh), ascendant at anthesis, densely lenticellate-verruculose and purple (fresh) abaxially, the bases valvate, arising from fused calyx rim; petals 6, obovate to broadly obovate, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2 cm, pink; androecial hood with three coils, ca. 2.5 cm across, pink (fresh); vestigial stamens on outside of coils; staminal ring with ca. 200 stamens, the filaments 1.5–2 mm long (fresh), clavate, the anthers 0.5–0.7 mm long (fresh); ovary 2-locular, the summit flat, the ovules pendulous, the style ca. 4 × 1.7 mm, stout, distinguished from ovary summit, the stylar collar absent. <i>Fruits</i> and <i>seeds</i> not seen. Old operculum collected from ground, ca. 13 cm in diam.</p> <p> <b>Discussion:</b> — <i>Eschweilera podoaquilae</i> resembles <i>E. rimbachii</i> and <i>E. pachyderma</i> but the irregularly and transversely sulcate thick pedicels, the tuberculate hypanthium, and the densely verruculose sepals are not a feature of either of these species (Mori <i>et al.</i> 2015). The fruit at maturity reaches ca. 20 cm diam. (com. pers. in the field), that is among the largest fruits of any <i>Eschweilera</i> s.l. in the Neotropics (op. cit.).</p> <p> <b>Etymology:</b> —The epithet refers to the irregularly and transversely sulcate and tuberculate thick pedicels, the tuberculate hypanthium, and the densely verruculose sepals that resemble an eagle or rapax bird foot.</p> <p> <b>Common names:</b> —Unknown.</p> <p> <b>Habitat and distribution:</b> —A medium size to subcanopy tree of extra Andean premontane wet forests, on welldrained soils, at southernmost Choco biogeographic region. Known only from northwestern Ecuador in the Centinela area at north of montañas de Ila and in Bilsa Biological Station, from 400–600 m elevation.</p> <p> <b>Phenology:</b> <i>—</i> Flowers have been collected from March to May.</p> <p> <b>Conservation status:</b> — <i>Eschweilera podoaquilae</i> is known from two localities in the provinces of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas and Esmeraldas, both separated ca. 110 km from each other in northwestern Ecuador. As the area of occupancy of the species is less than 5.000 km 2 with up to five populations seen in the field and due to the steady deforestation in the region transforming forests in pastures (Dodson & Gentry 1991, Pitman <i>et al.</i> 2022; pers. obs.), it is suggested that this new species be assigned as Endangered (EN) following the IUCN criteria B2 ab(iii) (IUCN, 2022).</p> <p> Surprisingly, <i>Eschweilera podoaquilae</i> is one of those species that were not collected or recorded by Calaway Dodson and Alwyn Gentry during their fieldwork for the flora of Centinela (Dodson & Gentry 1991). This case, similar to that of <i>Amyris centinelensis</i> Cornejo (2009:161, Rutaceae), that to the present is known only by the type gathered by D. Rubio and W. Alverson from Centinela remnants in 1990; and the recently discovered <i>Epidendrum monicarmasiae</i> Cornejo & Hágsater (2022:1956, Orchidaceae), known only by the type, and also missed by Dodson and Gentry, plus two yet unpublished new species of Gesneriaceae (J.L. Clark, pers. com.), all found for first time in 2022 from montañas de Ila and environs in Centinela, strongly suggest that an indeterminate number of species could have been driven to extinction due to the massive and steady deforestation without being collected, and confirms that many native and endangered species still survives there, e.g. <i>Gasteranthus extinctus</i> L. E. Skog & L.P. Kvist (2000: 65, Pitman <i>et al.</i> 2022, obs. pers.). Therefore, further exploration, additional collection efforts, and urgent programs of conservation and management including <i>Eschweilera podoaquilae</i>, the aforementioned species, and others endangered in similar condition from the very fragmented remnants of native vegetation of Centinela are needed.</p> <p> <b>Paratypes:</b> — ECUADOR. Esmeraldas: Bilsa Biological Station, Mache mountains, 35 km W of Quinindé, premontane wet forest, mature forest along rana roja trail, 79°44’W 0°21’N, 400–600 m, 5 May 1995 (fl), <i>J</i> <i>.</i> <i>L. Clark & C. Watt 799</i> (MO!, NY!, QCNE!, US [2]!); Río Ducha, 79°44’W 0°21’N, ca. 500 m, 16 Oct 2009 (old fr), <i>X. Cornejo & A. Macías 8170</i> (GUAY!, MO!, NY!).</p>Published as part of <i>Cornejo, Xavier, 2023, Eschweilera podoaquilae: A new species of Lecythidaceae from northwestern Ecuador, pp. 139-142 in Phytotaxa 579 (2)</i> on pages 139-141, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.579.2.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/7543161">http://zenodo.org/record/7543161</a>
Eschweilera brevipetiolata S. A. Mori & Cornejo 2023, sp. nov.
No full textEschweilera brevipetiolata S.A. Mori & Cornejo, sp. nov. (Fig. 1) This new species of Eschweilera is similar to E. integricalyx S.A. Mori but differs by the cauliflorous (vs. ramiflorous) inflorescences, longer pedicels, 1–1.3 cm (vs. ca. 0.5 cm long), calyces with triangular and well-defined sepals (vs. calyces nearly entire), leaves sessile to subsessile, the petioles absent to ca. 1 cm long (vs. petioles 1.5–2.5 cm long), and shorter height of the trees, 6 to 16 m tall (vs. canopy trees). Type: — COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca: Bajo Calima; Consesión Pulpapel / Buenaventura, carretera al Dindo, 3°55’ N 77°00’ W, ca. 100 m, 25 Sep 1986 (fl), M. Monsalve 1169 (holotype: CUVC-25917!; isotypes: MO-3701257!, MO-3701347!, NY-00853327!). Tree to 16 m tall, the trunk and bark unknown. Stems glabrous, sparsely lenticellate, cracked or shallowly fissured when dry. Leaves: sessile to very shortly petiolate, the petioles shallowly channeled adaxially, rounded abaxially, hemispherical in cross section, up to ca. 10 mm long, 7–8 mm diam., with many unicellular, papillose, light brown trichomes; blades oblanceolate to oblanceolate-elliptic, 50–75 × 18–30 cm, chartaceous, with abundant reddishbrown punctations abaxially, the base obtuse to rounded or truncate, the margins entire, the apex acuminate; venation eucamptodromous towards base, brochidodromous towards apex, without conspicuous marginal veins, the midrib prominent to flat toward base adaxially, markedly prominent abaxially, densely papillose at least on the lower half of its length, the secondary veins in 20–33 pairs, slightly prominent adaxially, salient abaxially, the marginal vein conspicuous, the tertiary veins reticulate. Inflorescences cauliflorous unbranched to 1-branched, the rachis 1.5–7 cm long, rather thin, ± straight to suberect, glabrous or glabrescent, lenticellate with age; pedicels 10–14 × ca. 1.5–2 mm, truncate to articulation, glabrous or glabrescent, drying blackish. Flowers ca. 3.5 cm diam.; hypanthium glabrous, sparsely lenticellate; calyx with 6 lobes, the lobes triangular to deltoid, 2–3 × 3–4 mm, ascendant at anthesis, smooth (dry) abaxially, the bases valvate, arising from fused calyx rim; petals ± oblong, 2–2.5 × ca. 1 cm, pink; androecial hood with four coils, ca. 1.5 cm wide, pink; vestigial stamens on outside of coils; staminal ring with ca. 300 stamens, the filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, clavate, the anthers 0.5–0.7 mm long; ovary 2-locular, with ca. 10 ovules per locule, the summit widely obconical, the style not distinguished from ovary summit. Fruits depressed globose, ca. 5 × 4 cm, the calyx lobes persistent in young fruits, woody, the calycine ring not conspicuous, the supra-calycine zone erect, the infra-calycine zone rounded to pedicel, the operculum convex, somewhat prolonged to umbonate at apex, the pericarp 2–3 mm thick, brown when dry. Seeds usually wedge-shaped in cross section, the outer surface hemispherical, the two sides flat, ca. 4 × 3 cm, the veins visible, plain, the seed coat smooth, the arils unknown. Discussion: — Eschweilera brevipetiolata resembles E. integricalyx S.A. Mori, another species endemic to the Choco in Colombia, but it differs from the latter by the cauliflorous (vs. ramiflorous) arrangement of inflorescences, pedicels 1–1.3 cm long (vs. ca. 0.5 cm long), calyces with triangular and well-defined sepals (vs. calyces nearly entire), leaves sessile to subsessile, the petioles absent to ca. 1 cm long (vs. petioles 1.5–2.5 cm long), and shorter height of the trees, 6 to 16 m tall (vs. canopy trees). Due to the large blades, Eschweilera brevipetiolata may resemble E. sclerophylla Cuatrec. (1951: 92), another species endemic to western Colombia, but the latter species differs from it by the petiolate (1–1.3 cm long vs. sessile or nearly sessile) leaves, axillary or terminal (vs. cauliflorous) inflorescences, large and yellow (vs. smaller and pink) flowers, and truncate (vs. tapered) hypanthia. Etymology: —The epithet refers to the very short petiole that vegetatively characterizes this taxonomic novelty. Common names: —Guasco (Monsalve 1349). Habitat and distribution: —An understory to medium-sized tree of mature, wet to pluvial forest in non-flooded areas characterized by palms, such as Oenocarpus bataua Mart. (1823: 23) and Socratea exorrhiza (Mart.) H. Wendl. (1860: 103). It is known only from western Colombia in the Bajo Calima area, department of Valle del Cauca, from 50–100 m elevation. Phenology: — Flowers have been collected in late September, and may be present until early October, and fruits have been collected in Mar, Apr, Jul, Ago, and Nov. Conservation status: — Eschweilera brevipetiolata occurs in the Bajo Calima area and is represented by a small population with several mature individuals. It is suggested that this new species be assigned the IUCN conservation status of near threatened (NT) (IUCN, 2022). Paratypes: — COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca: Bajo Calima Concession, ca. 16 km NW Buenaventura, at end of Gasolina Rd. Juanchaco área, BV-82, wet tropical forest on 20–45° slopes, yellow clay over alluvial, 77°10’W 3°50’N, 50 m, 28 May 1987 (st), D. Faber-Langendoen et al. 712 (CUVC!), 727 (NY!); 77°02’W 3°55’N, 50 m, 11 Jul 1984 (st), A . Gentry et al. 47914 (CUVC!, NY!); carretera Hans, 100 m, 2 Oct 1987 (fl), M . Monsalve 1910 (CUVC!); carretera La Gasolina, 100 m, 26 Nov 1986 (fr), M . Monsalve 1349 (CUVC!). Dindo area, 76°58’W 3°59’N, 50 m, 20 Jul 1984 (fr), A . Gentry & M. Monsalve 48417 (CUVC!, NY!); 77°02’W 3°59’N, 50 m, 26 Mar 1986 (fr), A . Gentry et al. 53640 (CUVC!, NY!).Published as part of Cornejo, Xavier, 2023, Eschweilera brevipetiolata and E. silverstonei: Two new species of Lecythidaceae from western Colombia, pp. 287-292 in Phytotaxa 585 (4) on pages 288-290, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.585.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/770386
Recommended from our members
A letter from Henry B. Gonzalez, Representative from Texas, to Vicente Ximenes, Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner, thanking him for a copy of Fred Schmidt's Study.
No full textA letter from Henry B. Gonzalez, Representative from Texas, to Vicente Ximenes, Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner, thanking him for a copy of Fred Schmidt's Study
- …
